


in the sky

by LEMONADANG



Category: We Bare Bears (TV)
Genre: Fankids - Freeform, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2020-05-12 19:05:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19235260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LEMONADANG/pseuds/LEMONADANG
Summary: Panda and Charlie's daughter is fussing.





	1. Chapter 1

It wasn’t his fault, but Panda couldn’t help but feel embarrassed and guilty as he panicked over the current predicament. In his arms was his infant daughter, Momo, steadily being rocked in her father’s arms as she wailed her little head off. 

Panda wished he could say he got even a wink of sleep before needing to deal with this. A big part of the reason he felt so guilty was because Momo’s meltdown began before anyone in the household had gone to sleep (besides Luna, Momo’s older twin and Panda and Charlie’s eldest daughter), and had continued way past when anyone wanted to stay awake. He thought for sure she’d cried herself dry, but he’d thought that an hour ago. He also felt guilty because of just how understanding his brothers had been-- Ice Bear had graciously offered his noise cancelling headphones to Panda to slip over Luna’s baby ears so she’d be able to sleep. They were a loose fit, but they were greatly appreciated nonetheless. In return, Panda had allowed Ice Bear to wear _his_ headphones to sleep. They weren’t noise cancelling by any means, but they were better than nothing. Ice Bear loved his nieces a great deal, but since he knew he wasn’t properly equipped to deal with such a situation, back into the fridge he went. Grizz, bless his heart, wasn’t a night person at all, but didn’t let that stop him from helping his brother. While Charlie was posted up in his and Panda’s bedroom with Luna to make sure she didn’t start fussing too, Grizz stayed in the living room with Panda on the couch. 

The effects of sleep deprivation were beginning to have opposite effects on the brothers. Grizz felt gravity pulling on his eyelids and had trouble keeping his head up despite the crying baby two feet away from him, while Panda almost seemed more energized-- maybe it was just mania kicking in, but even Grizz could tell Panda was ready to explode from stress. 

“She’s not hungry?”

“That was the first thing I tried, Grizz!” Panda snapped back, teeth clenched. Grizz flinched in response, but sympathized with his brother. 

“...She’s just too loud,” Grizz commented.

Panda switched Momo’s position, holding her close to his shoulder. It did little to soothe her as a whole, but over the past hour the loud crying had regressed to a smaller, squeakier wail. “Oh, you can hear that? I thought it was dead silent in here!” 

Grizz normally would have been hurt by Panda’s tone, but he just felt _bad_ for Panda more than anything. He was able to pick up the desperation in Panda’s remark and knew it wasn’t directed at him, and moreso the situation as a whole.

A quiet click from the opposite side of the room brought the brothers’ heads up towards the source, which was incidentally Panda’s bedroom. Charlie emerged from the dark room, babyless, awkward smile on his face as he waved just as awkwardly at Panda. 

“Where’s Luna?” Panda asked as he gently bounced Momo, standing up to greet Charlie before he came and sat on the couch in the free space next to him.

“Asleep,” Charlie replied. “Out for the count. Momo still upset?”

“You’re literally listening to her crying and asking me if she’s still upset!?” Panda barked.

“Calm down, pumpkin,” Charlie placed a gentle hand on Panda’s back, guiding him back to his seat. “Getting angry ain’t gonna calm no one.” 

Panda breathed a sigh, leaning into his husband’s touch. He felt so, so hopeless at this point, but being near Charlie made him feel so much more capable. “I-I’m sorry,” Panda stammered. 

“Let me take her; you go take a breather,” Charlie instructed, lightly pressing a kiss to Panda’s cheek. Panda quietly nodded, handing Momo off to her other father. Panda trudged off to his bedroom.

“Now if only you were as good at calming down Momo as you are with Panda,” Grizz joked.

“Heh, I wish.” Charlie chuckled, cradling Momo close. “What’s wrong, sweetheart? You’re upsetting your dad...”

Momo’s only response was to continue wailing. Charlie wasn’t discouraged, though, blinking a few times in thought. 

“Is Panda gonna be okay?” Grizz asked, cocking an eyebrow. 

“Shoot, you know him better than I do,” Charlie sighed. “He’s just frustrated right now; give him a minute on his own.”

A few more unproductive minutes passed between the three of them, with Grizz occasionally throwing out suggestions which, unsurprisingly, didn’t help. Ultimately, Grizz couldn’t help but be impressed by Charlie’s composure as he continued rocking Momo, which stayed mild and calm throughout the ordeal, a stark contrast with his husband and daughter.

Soon after did Panda emerge from his bedroom, his previously disheveled fur now properly groomed and his frustrated expression now fully placated. His breathing had returned to a healthy rhythm as well, making him seem like a new bear altogether. All in all, it seemed like he had fully calmed down in spite of his daughter’s continued meltdown. 

As Panda made his way back over to the couch Grizz and Charlie looked at him with a mix of sympathy and confusion on their faces, wondering what on earth it was that brought him down as much as it did. They didn’t mention that, though, in fear of bringing everything back to square one. 

“I know what to do,” Panda announced quietly, gently taking Momo from Charlie. Charlie, and Grizz by extension, was too tired to question Panda. “Give me… an hour.”

Panda exited the cave without another word.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Grizz and Charlie sat in silence for that entire hour, or however long it took for Panda to reemerge into the cave.

The first thing Grizz and Charlie noticed was that Momo was no longer crying, the second thing they noticed was that Panda _was._

“I… I did it,” Panda whispered, his voice distant and detached, blinking away tears. His breath came in huffs past an awed smile.


	2. Chapter 2

Panda shut the door behind him, supporting his daughter in his other arm. He breathed a sigh as she cried herself hoarse. He was close to giving up earlier, but found his senses before another minute of that kind of thinking. He wouldn’t, _couldn’t_ give up on his daughter. Not in a million, billion years. Seeing her this upset made Panda ache twice as hard, worse knowing there wasn’t anything he could do to fix it.

Panda put a protective arm around Momo as he held her close to his chest, cautiously walking around to the back of his house, careful to avoid any rocks or twigs. Behind the cave was a shallow ramp-like hill that led to the roof of the cave, overlooking a small part of the forest. On nights where he wanted to get away from everything, that little cliff was where he found himself most of the time. 

The sight of the area alone calmed what was left of Panda’s frustration as the positive connotations he connected to the little spot flowed over him. He hoped the combination of the tranquil night air, the sight of the stars twinkling overhead, and the silence surrounding them would comfort Momo like it did him countless times before. 

Panda sat a few feet from the edge of the cliff, keeping a comfortable distance. Momo’s wailing and crying had dissipated, but she still squirmed uncomfortably in Panda’s arms, hiccuping every few moments. 

“Shh, Shh, Shh,” Panda cradled Momo perfectly still in his arms, only moving to lightly stroke her cheek, which was wet from tears. He used the back of his paw to lovingly wipe her face dry of the tears that continued falling from her chocolate colored eyes, something she shared with Panda. “Look, Momo. The stars are shining”

Panda knew Momo couldn’t grasp the English language yet, but still pointed up at the inky black sky above them, dazzled with stars that glittered. 

Momo’s curious eyes followed the path her father laid out for her, casting her gaze to the stars above. Perhaps when she was older she’d correct him, telling him that meteorites don’t shine, but for now she looked. 

“Yeah… Look at that,” Panda pointed to a clump of stars he recognized from an old astronomy book he owned. “That’s Orion.” 

Momo didn’t follow Panda this time, though, letting her eyes travel elsewhere. Constellations meant nothing to her feeble infant brain, but something about the environment left her at her calmest she's been all night. 

“A-And that’s Leo over there, I think.” Of all the zodiac constellations, Leo was the only one Panda bothered to learn; that one specifically meant a lot to him.

Readjusting his arms so Momo would be more comfortable, Panda noticed Momo’s eyes had shut, and she was sleeping soundly in his arms. Something about this sight made Panda’s heart clench and his eyes immediately fill with tears of his own, craning his head up, trying (and subsequently failing) to keep them from spilling. Soon, the realization hit him-- he had done it. Momo was silent, finally asleep, and the rest of Panda’s family could finally rest. Maybe he _could_ do this whole parenting thing after all.

Panda rose from his seat like he was stepping through lasers-- one wrong move and everything was over. Thrice as cautious as before, Panda navigated his way back to the front of his home in the limited light. 

Careful not to stir the sleeping baby in his arms, Panda slowly slipped a paw out from under Momo and used it to open his front door, where he would see Grizz and Charlie in the same spots they were left in an hour ago, staring at Panda expectantly. Panda released the breath he had been holding, an awestruck smile finding its way onto his face.

“I… I did it.”


End file.
